Chamber and committees

The regulations apply to people who live in Scotland and who are returning from outside Scotland, as well as to people visiting Scotland, and apply to international travellers to Scotland irrespective of their point of entry into the UK.

Travellers must complete an online passenger locator form before travelling, and provide contact details, travel details and the address of their final destination. This information will be used to contact the individual if they or someone else they have travelled with develops coronavirus symptoms, and to check that they are self-isolating for 14 days after they arrive in Scotland if required to.

There is further guidance on the regulations available here .

We recognise that this is a difficult time for mobile therapists, including nail and beauty technicians.

However, our primary driver is safeguarding public health and wellbeing and preventing transmission of the virus. We are currently developing guidance in partnership with sectoral trade bodies and health specialists to support mobile close contact services to return to work.

While we are not yet able to provide a date for when these services will be permitted to resume, we will aim to do so as soon as is it safe to do so. In the meantime, therapists who operate from a fixed premises – including the practitioner’s own home – are currently permitted to do so provided they follow the relevant guidance.

From the outset, we have adopted a public health focused approach to the border health measures. The data and evidence we receive to inform our decisions on these measures comes from the Public Health England and the Joint Biomedical Centre (JBC) via the UK Government. As this data is owned by the UK Government, we are not able to publish the analysis on specific countries and why countries are or are not on the exemptions list. I have written to the UK Government asking them to make the data publicly available.

We are continuously keeping countries under review and where there is clear evidence that it is safe to do so, we will add further countries to the exemption list. Likewise, if the evidence suggests an exempt country may provide increased risk, we will not hesitate to reinstate quarantine arrangements.

Certain aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) have been permitted in dental surgeries for NHS treatments since 17 August 2020. This development continues to reflect the phased reintroduction of NHS dental services and is supported by the provision of appropriate face-fitted PPE – free of charge – for all NHS treatments.

Staff across the dental sector are working hard to effect the reintroduction of these treatments in surgeries across Scotland and this process is being fully supported by NHS Boards, with work on-going to expedite the rollout of the specialist PPE required to protect against COVID-19 in dental settings.

In considering the relaxation of restrictions on dental care public health and the prevention of viral transmission remains of paramount concern, especially the safety of both patients and practitioners going forward.

Transport Scotland is in regular dialogue with transport operators who have been reminded, as per the guidance, that they are expected to consider displaying prominent signage highlighting that face-coverings must be worn and also that their staff may enquire of passengers why they are not wearing face-coverings and remind them of their legal obligations in so doing.

We continue to monitor compliance levels and the need to strengthen guidance or legislation remains under review.

Enforcement of the wearing of face-coverings on public transport rests with Police Scotland and the British Transport Police.

Provisional guidance for the safe running of organised activities for children and young people under 18 was published on 1 September. Subject to final review by Health Protection Scotland (part of Public Health Scotland), it will be updated within the next week. Organisers should also consult the guidance: Staying Safe and protecting others to ensure that they meet the necessary requirements.

Provisional guidance for the safe running of organised activities for children and young people under 18 was published on 1 September. Subject to final review by Health Protection Scotland (part of Public Health Scotland), it will be updated within the next week. It does include indoor toddler groups that adults have to attend. Organisers should consult the guidance to ensure that they meet the necessary requirements.

The World Health Organisation issued new advice on face coverings on 21 August. After consideration by the Advisory Sub-Group, and following consultation with teachers and local authorities, our advice was updated on 25 August. Paragraphs 79 to 92 of the updated guidance offer advice on the safe use of face coverings in schools.

The guidance has been updated to note that face coverings should (unless exemptions apply) be worn by adults and young people in secondary schools when moving about the school in corridors and communal areas, where physical distancing is particularly difficult to maintain. They should be worn on school transport by everyone over the age of 5. Anyone (whether child, young person or adult) wishing to wear a face covering in school should be permitted to do so.

We seek regular feedback from partners via the Education Recovery Group about the experiences of pupils and staff in schools, and the way in which our guidance is being implemented in schools. Where there is a need to take action, either by updating our guidance or ensuring it is being given practical effect, we will work with partners to do so.

We are routinely testing healthcare workers where the evidence tells us it is appropriate to do so.

We test all asymptomatic healthcare workers involved in suspected nosocomial COVID-19 outbreaks. This decision was made based upon independent expert advice from the COVID-19 Nosocomial Review Group.

In addition, we test, on a weekly basis, staff working in specialist cancer units, in long term care of the elderly and in long stay mental health wards. These further categories were selected either by having regard to evidence of nosocomial spread in certain healthcare settings, and/or by having a likelihood of highly vulnerable patients in terms of COVID-19.

We have provided an additional £75 million for the recruitment of additional teachers for this school year to bring much needed resilience to the education system, and to support children and young people who have suffered loss of learning during lockdown.

All councils will receive their share of this funding and we would expect teachers to be recruited. The funding is enough for the recruitment of around 1,400 additional teachers.

The funding may be used by local authorities to recruit additional post probation teachers, recently qualified teachers and other qualified teachers.